Saudi Arabia and Cyprus enhance relations

Relations between Saudi Arabia and Cyprus have become closer under the leadership of President Nicos Anastasiades, Abdul Latif Bin Rashid Al Zayani, the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) said on Wednesday.

According to an announcement from the presidency, Anastasiades met with Al Zayani on Wednesday, in Riyadh. The GCC official thanked Anastasiades for the position Cyprus maintains within the EU vis-à-vis Saudi Arabia.

The meeting was also attended by Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides, Government Spokesman Nikos Christodoulides and other officials.

Anastasiades arrived on Tuesday in Riyadh and is the first president of Cyprus to pay an official visit to Saudi Arabia.

(1) Turkey’s military base in Qatar where troop numbers were recently increased and the implicit threat to the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain (ie., Saudi payback);

(2) the excellent relations between Cyprus and Egypt, a Sunni country, and the close cooperation in the planned exploitation of any natural gas that might be found in the Cypriot EEZ;

(3) The unconditional support Cyprus has provided the Lebanese government in obtaining arms for its army (both the current donation of $20 million worth of existing National Guard armaments and previously, when the Syrian war first broke out — remember that the Lebanon has been under an arms embargo since 2006 aimed primarily against Hezbollah but affecting the Lebanese Army as well, because no parliamentary authorization can be obtained (because Shia approval would be required) to purchase the arms. When the Lebanon first turned to Cyprus, Cyprus donated its French built armaments, which it then replaced persuading France to sell arms to the Lebanon in the process, and shamed Saudi Arabia into paying for the additional French weapons that Lebanon could not buy for itself. The Christians and Sunnis in Lebanon are immensely afraid of the ability of Hezbollah to spread disorder both within Lebanon and beyond, and the chance that they might start a war with Israel just for the ideological fun of it. That’s what the whole business with Lebanese Prime Minister Hariri was all about, his visit to Cyprus to arrange for another arms transfer, the threat of assassination from Hezbollah who felt the arms would be used against them, his fleeing to Saudi Arabia, the telephone calls from Sisi and Anastasiades to get him to go back, the trip to France, the trip to Cyprus on his way back to the Lebanon. This is what the Saudi King is referring to when he talks about a closeness under Anastasiades.

(4) The close relations between Cyprus and Jordan, a Sunni Monarchy;

(5) The close relations between Cyprus and Israel, which benefits from a stable, non-belligerent Lebanon, and any back-and-forth Cyprus might be able to provide on a sub rosa basis between Israel and Cyprus’ Arab friends, including newest bestie Saudi Arabia.

(6) The legitimation Anastasiades provided Sisi when he met with him in Cairo and subsequently in Nicosia and the involvement of Greece in the process, perhaps an expectation/hope that Anastasiades might do that for Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman in light of the horrible war in Yemen (with American and British participation) but, also, the announced kinder, gentler Saudi Arabia at home.

(7) The fact that Cyprus was either an observer or honorary member of the Arab League before it joined the EU.

It’s all positive, in my view, this is the East in which we live/η καθ’ ημάς Ανατολή, and we should be friends with all our neighbors, and Turkey, too, in due time. The only drawback is that Cyprus might now be perceived as being squarely in the Sunni camp (which is only right since most Turkish Cypriots are Sunni), although I don’t see why Iran, Syria, and the Shia in Iraq and the Lebanon should think that. During the Hezbollah-Israeli war Cyprus fielded and paid for a fully equipped Médecins Sans Frontières contingent to South Lebanon, including 60 tonnes of pharmaceuticals, much to the amazement of Hezbollah to have Christians take care of them, including firecracker Dr. Eleni Theocharous in her Florence Nightingale phase, before she started channeling Greek War of Independence heroin Boumboulina. Of course our former esteemed president blew up half the country safekeeping arms Iran had sent to al-Assad the Younger, so it must be one of those things, again when left and right meet on the fringes.

Γιώργος Τσούκαλος

Hezbollah cooperates quite nicely with the Christians of Lebanon…

Peter G

It also cooperates quite nicely with the Sunnis and the Druze. So? How does that negate the Sunni and Christian fear that Hezbollah might start a war with Israel on its own?

It’s nice to see a new contributor.

Benny bumble

Passport sales are going well then ?.

ROC..

Yes as thier is only one valid type on the ROC 🙂

cyprus observer

There

John Henry

If only there was a reporter in the room to ask the King to expand on precisely what he meant when he said relations have become stronger under Nic. Sincerely, I’d like to hear more than a soundbite!

Grasshopper

He dropped off the pre-stamped EU citizenship for investment forms so it’s hush hush, but relations are becoming stronger. Let’s get back to the Presidential Palace and wait for the dollars to roll in …..nice touch foreign minister 🙂

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